The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
party with no official platform); Siumut (Forward Party) [Hans ENOKSEN] (a social democratic party advocating more distinct Greenlandic identity and greater autonomy from Denmark)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: conservationists; environmentalists
International organization participation:
Arctic Council, NC, NIB, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a large disk slightly to the hoist side of center - the top half of the disk is red, the bottom half is white
Economy
Greenland
Economy - overview:
The economy remains critically dependent on exports of fish and a substantial subsidy from the Danish Government, which supplies about half of government revenues. The public sector, including publicly owned enterprises and the municipalities, plays the dominant role in the economy. Several interesting hydrocarbon and mineral exploration activities are ongoing. Press reports in early 2007 indicated that two international aluminum companies were considering building smelters in Greenland to take advantage of local hydropower potential. Tourism is the only sector offering any near-term potential, and even this is limited due to a short season and high costs. Air Greenland began summer-season direct flights to the US east coast in May 2007, potentially opening a major new tourism market.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.1 billion (2001 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.7 billion (2005)
GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$20,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Labor force:
32,120 (2004)
Unemployment rate:
9.3% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $1.36 billion expenditures: $1.27 billion (2005)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1% (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:
forage crops, garden and greenhouse vegetables; sheep, reindeer; fish
Industries:
fish processing (mainly shrimp and Greenland halibut); gold, niobium, tantalite, uranium, iron and diamond mining; handicrafts, hides and skins, small shipyards
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
305 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
283.7 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% note: Greenland is shifting its electricity production from fossil fuel to hydropower production (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
3,927 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
149.5 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
4,089 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports:
$480 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
fish and fish products 94% (prawns 63%) (2001 est.)
Exports - partners:
Denmark 61.8%, Japan 9.9%, Canada 7.3%, China 5.8% (2007)
Imports:
$712 million c.i.f. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Denmark 68.1%, Sweden 19.3%, Canada 2.5% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$512 million; note - subsidy from Denmark (2005)
Debt - external:
$25 million (1999)
Currency (code):
Danish krone (DKK)
Currency code:
DKK
Exchange rates:
Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003)
Communications
Greenland
Telephones - main lines in use:
36,000 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
66,400 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate domestic and international service provided by satellite, cables and microwave radio relay; totally digitalized in 1995 domestic: microwave radio relay and satellite international: country code - 299; satellite earth stations - 15 (12 Intelsat, 1 Eutelsat, 2 Americom GE-2 (all Atlantic Ocean)) (2000)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
30,000 (1998 est.)
Television